The House on Daphne Lane
by iloveromance
Summary: Taking Roz's advice, Niles goes to great lengths to find a unique gift for Daphne. But when his plan backfires in a big way, he finds it hard to hide his shame. AU "Juvenilia". A very early birthday gift for crazysockmonkeys.


_**A/N: One of my favorite Frasier scenes of the series is the very last scene in "Juvenilia" where Niles is giving Daphne the gift. It's so sweet and romantic but every time I see it, I can't help but wish it was a bit longer in duration. And so here is an imagined version as a gift to crazysockmonkeys in appreciation for friendship and support of my writing! **_

Niles was exhausted by the time he arrived at the Elliot Bay Towers. He knew that he should have just returned home to the Montana, but his home was a lonely palace, even more so than prison had been. At that moment he needed to be with the people he loved; one person in particular. He glanced in the back seat and smiled sadly. It wasn't at all what he'd set out to buy and it cost him far more than the intended gift (both financially and emotionally) but it was all that he had.

Next to the box in the backseat, Eddie woke from his slumber and began barking as Niles slowed the BMW to a stop in the parking garage. And he couldn't help but chuckle at the excited barking.

"That's right Eddie, we're home now. I'm sorry that you had to spend time in the kennel. I remember how much you hated it last time when I told Dad I would watch you while he was on his trip. It wasn't my intention for this to happen again; for any of this to happen. But I suppose that I should thank you. After all if it weren't for you I wouldn't have gotten this gift. I wouldn't have been thrown in jail either, but…"

Eddie wagged his tail happily and jumped out of the car. Niles crouched down to pet him and Eddie put his paws on Niles' knee and kissed his face. Normally Niles would cringe at the act of a dog's tongue touching his face but he was strangely touched by the affection-even if it had come from someone who wasn't human. And Niles found himself laughing. "I guess I was wrong about you." He said, scratching Eddie's soft fur. "But it's late, so we should go inside." He grabbed Eddie's leash and the box, cradling the gift beneath his arm.

As they entered the lobby, he nodded in greeting to Morrie, wondering what the doorman thought of him. It wasn't often that Niles wore such an unusual outfit; a black turtleneck, black pants and black shoes. He looked every bit like a criminal. And now he had the criminal record to prove it. So much for his much-coveted reputation.

With a deep sigh, he smiled at Morrie, relieved when the doorman merely nodded, allowing Niles and Eddie to pass through the lobby without questions. He would have explained why he was dressed the way he was, but he was simply too tired.

"Have a good night, Dr. Crane." Morrie called to them as Eddie and Niles entered the elevator. Niles replied with an absent wave just as the elevator doors closed.

The ride from the lobby to the nineteenth floor was painfully long and when the elevator door was finally opened, Eddie was only too happy to dart across the hall and whine at the front door. Knowing his brother would have a fit, Niles reached into his pocket and pulled out his spare key that Frasier deemed for emergency use only. It was 3am after all and he couldn't go home, so that, in Niles opinion was reason enough to use it. He somehow doubted that Frasier would want him spending the night in his lonely home with their father's dog in tow.

As quietly as possible he inserted the key into the lock and turned it, relieved when the door opened easily. He slipped inside daring not to make a sound, but Eddie chose to bound through the living room. However, the dog stopped in his tracks when he heard Niles hiss his name.

"Shhh..." Niles whispered, putting his finger to his lips. Amazingly the dog obeyed, whimpering softly. Niles heart went out to the Jack Russell Terrier and he retreated into the kitchen in search of a reward. When he found what he needed, he poured the dry dog food into Eddie's dog dish and placed it on the floor. Eddie indulged happily, his tail wagging back and forth as Niles scratched his head.

"I suppose you deserve a nice meal." Niles said. "I know I said this before but I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just hope that Daphne understands. Now finish your meal and then go lie down in your bed. But don't wake up Dad, okay? You must be tired, because I am." He smiled when Eddie moved away from the dish to lick his hand again and then returned to the meal.

Eddie was much smarter than he gave him credit for.

He rose to his feet and returned to the living room, anxious to simply relax. But when his eyes fell onto the white box with the red bow that sat on the end table, his apprehension returned. This was the moment that he'd dreaded but it simply had to be done. He'd gone through too much to just pretend that it never happened.

As quietly as possible, Niles knocked on Daphne's door. He hated to wake her but he couldn't wait any longer. When there was no answer, he tried again with the same results. Finally in desperation he reached for the doorknob and turned slowly. And feeling the slightest bit of guilt, he opened the door.

The room was dark, save for the glow of the moonlight through Daphne's bedroom window. And there, asleep in the bed was his angel. She looked so beautiful that he hated to wake her. But he had no other choice. He moved toward her and sat down in the chair next to her bed, reaching out to stroke her soft hair. Almost immediately her eyes fluttered open, making him smile.

"Hello, my love."

She bolted upright and her eyes widened. And when opened her mouth, he managed to place his hand over her lips before she could let out a scream. His free hand turned on her lamp, instantly illuminating the room.

"Niles! Bloody hell!" She yelled, smacking him in the arm. "What are you doing here? You scared me to death! And why are you dressed like you just robbed a bloody bank?"

The description made him cringe and he suddenly felt worse than before. Perhaps this was wrong, and the guilt washed over him like a powerful tsunami. "I'm sorry Daphne. It wasn't my intention to frighten you. It wasn't my intention to…. well... None of this was my intention, I'm afraid. I'm so sorry." He rose from the chair and kissed her cheek before turning to leave. "I should go. It's late."

He was almost to the door when he heard movement behind him.

"Niles, wait!"

Slowly he turned to look at her, certain that he would see anger in her eyes. But instead she surprised him by pulling on her robe before walking toward him and taking his hand.

"I'm sorry I was so cross with you. But what are you doing here?"

He swallowed hard, wishing he hadn't come at all. "I just… I have something for you and I couldn't wait to show it to you."

"You what?"

"Will you come with me into the living room? And I swear, I'll never bother you again. I swear it."

She smiled and hugged him. "Niles, I love you. And you could never bother me. I was just… surprised to see you. What is it that you want to show me?"

He laced his fingers through hers. "I promise it won't take very long. Just come…"

Quietly they walked into the darkened living room and he smiled, seeing no evidence of Eddie. He hoped that it meant that Eddie was safely in Martin's bedroom dreaming of whatever it was dog's dream about. If they dreamt at all that is.

"Niles, what's going on?" Daphne whispered. "Are you all right? Why are you dressed like that?"

He said nothing as he led her to the sofa and kissed her, coaxing her to sit.

"Oh, look at that moonlight. Isn't it beautiful? Niles this is so romantic, waking me in the middle of the night. Can we go out on the balcony?"

He sighed, wishing he could comply with her request. He wanted nothing more than to spend a romantic interlude with her. But first things first. "Actually I have something else for you."

She smiled eagerly. "What is it?"

His heart racing, he picked up the box and handed it to her. "This for you, my love."

"Niles, another gift? What is this?"

"Open it."

"Niles, you really didn't have to do this. If this is about the earrings, I'm sorry. I love them, I really do. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. They're even more beautiful than the first pair you bought me."

"But they're the same pair! How could I have been so stupid?"

She smiled and kissed him tenderly. "I know… but I love them just the same. And you're not stupid. You're wonderful. I love you."

"And I love you, my angel. But now-."

"Right… me present. Oh, I can hardly wait to see what it is!"

She untied the bow and was about to lift the lid from the box when he stopped her with his hand. "Daphne, wait."

"What's wrong?"

"There's something I need to tell you."

"All right."

"This gift… It's not what I intended to give you. Not at all. You see, I felt so horrible for giving you a gift that you already had and-."

She pressed her fingers to his lips. "Hush. I love them. And I love you. I'll just… wear one pair one day and the other one the next. It will be our secret."

He couldn't resist kissing her and then taking her into his arms for a hug. "I love you too. But there's something else. This gift… I ran into Roz at Café Nervosa and she told me that you mentioned the earrings. "

"Oh Niles, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"It's all right. You didn't. But Roz gave me some advice. And at the time I thought it was pretty good advice. She said to find something unique that no one else would think of. So I went driving around until I came to a street in an affluent neighborhood. It was there that I saw the most stunning house. It was magnificent, even more so than that monstrosity of a mansion that I used to live in when… well, anyway, I wanted so much to buy it for you."

Daphne smiled as tears filled her eyes and she touched his face. "Oh Niles…"

"But I knew it was too soon to buy you something as extravagant as a home. I mean we aren't even…"

"It's a lovely thought. Thank you, Sweetheart."

"So I started to drive off. But then I noticed the street sign."

"What did it say?"

He couldn't help grinning. "_Daphne Lane_."

And to his surprise, Daphne laughed. "Oh Niles, really? That's so sweet!"

"I thought so too, and when Roz told me about one of her boyfriend's stealing a sign for her that said _Doyle's Pub_" I figured that I could do something a little dangerous too. You know, live on the edge. So I got Eddie to stand guard while I went to work. And I was almost finished when…."

He turned away, unable to look at her. But then he felt her fingertips on his chin, turning him to face her once more. "Niles? What happened?"

"I got caught."

"Well, it was the thought that counted and I love you for thinking of me." She moved to kiss him but he drew back in shame. "Niles?"

"That's not all. You see, I had intended to give you the sign, but someone saw me."

"Who?"

He swallowed hard, comforted when she slipped her hand into his.

"Niles, come on. You can tell me. I promise I won't be angry."

"It was the police, Daphne. They handcuffed me and dragged me into the police car… Eddie too, and drove us to the police station. And it was there that I was booked and thrown into jail for two horrifying hours."

"Oh Niles…"

"I'm so sorry, Daphne. You must be so ashamed of me. I just wanted to give you a gift to show you how much I love you. I could never tell you enough. I-."

She kissed him tenderly, but it did little to quell his fears. "You don't need to give me gifts to let me know how much you love me. I can feel it right here. In me heart." To prove her point, she took his hand and placed it on her chest. "I could never love anyone more than you. Now, I can hardly wait to see what this gift is. May I open it?"

He sighed deeply. "All right. But I hope you're not too disappointed."  
"That's impossible."

To the surprise of both of them, Eddie bounded into the room and jumped onto the sofa between them.

"Eddie, what are you doing here? Niles and I are trying to have a romantic moment!" Daphne scolded.

"Well, he had a lot to do with this gift so perhaps he wants to see your reaction as well." Niles quipped. He would never admit it aloud, but he was grateful that Eddie was there for support… even if it was of the animal variety.

As she lifted the lid from the box she gasped in surprise. "Oh Niles…" And he couldn't ignore the pounding of his heart watching her remove the picture frame. She turned it over and laughed. "I love it. It's perfect!"

He started at her in surprise, unable to hide his grin. "You do?"

"It's wonderful. Thank you so much, Niles. This is the best present I could have ever received."

"But it's a mug shot, Daphne! I'm a criminal!"

"Niles, that's ridiculous. You're not a criminal!"

"I was thrown in jail and the record will haunt me for the rest of my life!"

"I'm sure your father will be more than happy to take care of it. But I can't thank you enough for this. I know you're embarrassed but you shouldn't be. I'll cherish it always, because this is the most wonderful thing anyone s ever done for me. You risked your reputation to get this for me and I love you so much. Thank you, Sweetheart."

He grinned like a little boy as she placed the picture on the coffee table and took him into her arms, kissing him again and again. And in that moment he loved her more than he thought possible. "You really like it?" he asked, his voice muffled against the soft material of her robe.

"I love it. And I love you. But I am a bit tired."

He gasped in horror when he realized what time it was. "Oh dear God, I'm sorry. Look at the time, it's barely 4am! I didn't mean to disturb your slumber. I should go."

He moved to rise from the sofa but she grabbed his hand. "Stay, please."

"But-."

"It's all right. I want you to stay. That must have been terrible being in jail, even for a few hours."

"Well…"

"I love you, Niles." She said hugging him before he could say another word. He clung to her, relishing the feeling of being in her arms.

"And I love you. But you need your rest. So why don't I walk you back to your bedroom and tuck you into bed."

"That sounds heavenly. But since we're already here, why don't we just sleep here on the sofa?"

"What, together?"

"Well, unless you'd rather me sleep all alone in me room."

"Absolutely not. I won't hear of it."

She laughed as he kissed her deeply and they fell against the soft cushions. Eddie dutifully bounded off of the sofa but instead of retreating to his dog bed down the hallway, he jumped into Martin's chair and promptly fell asleep.

Niles removed his shoes and his black turtleneck, while Daphne took off her robe, revealing her incredibly sexy red tank top and pajama pants. Niles was certain he wouldn't be getting any sleep. But it came easier than he imaged as she snuggled against him and leaned her head against his chest. And he was almost asleep when he heard his name.

"Niles?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Will you do me a favor?"

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Of course, my love. Anything."

"Will you take me to Daphne Lane someday to see this beautiful house?"

The suggestion made him laugh. "I'd love to. That's a wonderful idea.. Sweet dreams, my angel."

"Goodnight, Niles."

As they drifted off to sleep, he no longer regretted his decision to do something daring. And he owed it all to Roz Doyle.

THE END


End file.
